Fifty communities receive Pride of Place awards 2015

Fifty locations including islands, coastal communities, towns and even a rehabilitation centre have won awards in the 2015 IPB Pride of Place awards.

The all-Ireland awards, run by Co-operation Ireland and a Pride of Place steering committee, were presented on Saturday night.

The Pride of Place competition aims to recognise the involvement of the local community in all aspects of rural and urban regeneration, including promoting social cohesion, heritage and environmental awareness, across 32 counties.

More than 800 people attended the prizegiving gala in Ennis, Co Clare to see 43 communities win awards. A further six special awards were also presented, and one local authority received a “special council award”.

‘Positive change’

Peter Sheridan, chief executive of Co-operation Ireland, said the competition “embodies the ethos of the organisation and it shows how, working together, ordinary people can make a positive change on society”.

Each year local authorities North and South nominate groups for exceptional work in their communities. This year 102 groups were nominated by their respective local authority. Catrina Gallen of Co-operation Ireland said there is no overall winner of the competition: “We have 50 overall winners”.

For “city” neighbourhoods of over 2,000 people, the Poleglass community in Belfast was named as category winner ahead of runner-up Tramore, Co Waterford.

In locations of the same size outside of cities, the joint winners were Dunshaughlin, Co Meath and Strandhill, Co Sligo, while the joint runners-up were Listowel Town, Co Kerry, and Randalstown and Newtownabbey in Co Antrim.

The full list of winners are:

Cities Competition

Population Category – Neighbourhoods Under 1,000

Winner: Cregagh, East Belfast

Population Category – Neighbourhoods 1,000 - 2,000

Runner-up: Blessington Street Basin Community, Dublin City

Winner: Ballyphehane, Cork City

Population Category – Neighbourhoods Over 2,000

Runner-up: Tramore, Co Waterford

Winner: The Poleglass Community, Belfast City

Age Friendly Community Initiative

Runner-up: Engage with Age – HOPE Project, Belfast City

Runner-up: Friendly Call, Cork City

Winner: Clareville Centre, Dublin City

Young People in the Community Initiative

Runner-up: Ballybane Traveller Integrated Youth Project, Galway City

Winner: Meitheal Mara - Bádóireacht Initiative, Cork City

Community Health Initiative

Runner-up: West Community Garden, Galway City

Winner: Deed Project, Derry City

Main Competition

Population Category Up to 300

Runner-up: Cloone, Co Leitrim

Runner-up: Tinryland, Co Carlow

Winner: Kilteely, Co Limerick

Population Category 300 - 1000

Runner-up: Ballyboughal, Fingal Council area

Runner-up: Kilteevan, Co Roscommon

Winner: Doonbeg, Co Clare

Population Category 1000 - 2000

Runner-up: Carlingford, Co Louth

Runner-up: Manorhamilton, Co Leitrim

Winner: Castlemartyr, Co Cork

Population Category Over 2000

Runner-up: Listowel Town, Co Kerry

Runner-up: Randalstown, Co Antrim & Newtownabbey

Joint Winner: Dunshaughlin, Co Meath

Joint Winner: Strandhill, Co Sligo

Age-Friendly Community Initiative

Runner-up: Ballinasloe Active Retirement Association, Co Galway

Runner-up: Strabane Community Project, Co Tyrone

Winner: Carnew Community Care, Co Wicklow

Young People in the Community Initiative

Runner-up: Monkstown Community Association, Co Antrim

Runner-up: Tipperary Comhairle na nÓg, Co Tipperary

Winner: Largy College YSI Group of 2014 -2015, Co Monaghan

Community Health Initiative

Runner-up: Jigsaw Offaly, Co Offaly

Runner-up: Tiglin, Co Wicklow

Winner: Coalisland & Dungannon Neighbourhood Renewal Partnership – Health, Co Tyrone

Housing Estates Category

Runner-up: Scanlon Park, Co Limerick

Runner-up: Willow Park Estate, Co Westmeath

Winner: Cois Cairn Estate, Dún Laoghaire Rathdown

Islands & Coastal Communities Category

Runner-up: Dungarvan & Helvick Head RNLI Fundraising Branch, Co Waterford

Runner-up: Ghort a’Choirce (Gortahork), Co Donegal

Winner: Inis Mór, (Inishmore Island), Co Galway

Urban Neighbourhoods Category

Runner-up: Cabinteely, Dún Laoghaire Rathdown Council Area

Runner-up: Mayfield /Glengormley, Co Antrim

Winner: Swinford, Co Mayo

Special Award: Edgeworthstown District Development Assoc. Co Longford

Special Award: Oaklands Lake, Co Wexford

Special Award: Roscommon Lions Club, Co Roscommon

Special Award: The Right Key, Co Down

Special Award: Kerry Traveller Health and Community Development Project, Co Kerry

Special Award: Mayo Masters GAA Team, Co Mayo

Council Community Engagement Award:

Winner: Derry and Strabane District Council